Warning!
This article contains discussions that may be sensitive to some people.
If you or someone close to you is experiencing symptoms of a mental health disorder, it is a good idea to contact an expert such as a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist at near you to help evaluate your mental health condition.
What is Suicide?
Suicide is the act of someone intentionally ending their own life. Suicide can be done in various ways, such as overdosing on drugs, hanging oneself, harming oneself on the highway, or jumping from a high place.
Suicide is often a manifestation of deep sadness, despair, or a deep sense of hopelessness in a person.
This is a serious problem, affecting individuals from all backgrounds, and can have devastating impacts on families and communities.
Symptoms of Suicide
There are several signs that indicate someone wants to have a meltdown. Well, these signs are generally similar to mental health problems.
Symptoms that can be observed include:
- Experiencing drastic changes in behavior or mood. They may become more withdrawn or more aggressive than usual.
- Tend to withdraw from social activities and interactions with others. They may avoid meeting friends or family and prefer to be alone.
- Giving direct signs or expressions of their desire to die. They may express feelings of hopelessness or despair openly, to others or through social media.
- Begin preparing by giving valuables to others, drafting farewell letters, or making plans about how they will commit suicide.
- Begins to show signs of preoccupation with death, such as frequently talking about death or spending time looking for information about suicide methods.
Causes of Suicide
There are various things that trigger someone to decide to have a baby, including:
- Mental health problems
Depression, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia are some types of mental health problems that can be major triggers for suicide.
Individuals who experience mental disorders often face deep feelings of hopelessness, and find it difficult to find hope for recovery.
- Emotional stress
Losing a loved one, divorce, or experiencing failure in life can cause severe emotional stress.
The sense of hopelessness caused by these events can in fact drive someone to choose suicide as a way to end their suffering.
- Feeling isolated
Feelings of loneliness and social isolation can also be contributing factors to suicide.
When a person feels isolated and lacks adequate social support, they may feel that they have no reason to continue living.
- Experiencing harassment and violence
Experiences of physical, sexual, or emotional abuse can leave deep scars on a person, as well as lead to deep feelings of hopelessness.
The psychological burden caused by the abuse can often trigger suicidal thoughts.
- Financial problems
Financial problems such as mounting debt, job loss, or other financial difficulties can also be triggers for suicide.
The inability to cope with financial problems can lead to feelings of hopelessness and despair.
Suicide Risk Factors
There are various factors that can trigger someone to commit suicide, such as:
- History of violence or abuse
Individuals who have experienced physical, sexual, or emotional violence or abuse are at higher risk for suicide.
The trauma from these experiences can cause mental instability that can potentially lead to suicide.
- Family history of suicide
When someone has a family member who commits suicide, their risk of doing the same thing also increases.
This can be caused by genetic factors, an unhealthy family environment, or exposure to suicidal behavior.
- Substance abuse
Excessive use of drugs or alcohol can increase the risk of suicide.
Substance abuse can disrupt the chemical balance in the brain and affect a person’s ability to make rational decisions.
- Personality disorders
People with personality disorders, such as borderline or antisocial personality disorder, are at higher risk for suicide.
Personality disorders are often associated with emotional and behavioral problems that can increase the risk of suicide.
- High-stress levels
Having high levels of stress in everyday life, whether due to work pressure, financial problems, or interpersonal conflicts, can also be a risk factor for suicide.
The inability to cope with stress can make a person feel hopeless and hopeless.
Suicide Prevention
In fact, suicide can still be prevented. There are several preventive measures you can take, including:
- Learn more about mental health issues
It is important to recognize the signs of mental health problems such as depression or anxiety promptly and provide appropriate intervention.
Psychological counseling and therapy can help individuals to cope with their problems and reduce the risk of suicide.
- Eliminate the negative stigma surrounding mental disorders
The stigma surrounding mental illness often prevents individuals from seeking the help and support they need.
This is what makes many people feel embarrassed or reluctant to ask for help from those closest to them or medical professionals.
Increasing public understanding of mental health issues and removing stigma can make individuals more comfortable seeking care.
- Encourage the community to raise awareness about suicide.
The public should also be more aware of the signs and symptoms of suicide so that they can recognize them and provide support to people who are at risk of committing suicide.
- Learn to manage stress and emotional problems
Teaching skills to manage stress and emotional problems can help individuals overcome the feelings of hopelessness and despair that often trigger suicide.
This can be done by doing relaxation techniques, meditation, and healthy coping skills. When Deciding to Commit Suicide, This is What Happens to a Person’s Brain.
How to Overcome Severe Depression and Avoid Suicidal Thoughts
If you or someone close to you has suicidal thoughts, here are some things you can do:
- Don’t hesitate to ask for help from a psychologist or psychiatrist.
An important first step in overcoming major depression and avoiding suicidal thoughts is to seek professional help.
Counseling and therapy can help individuals identify the causes of depression and develop strategies to cope with the problem.
- Take antidepressant medication prescribed by a psychiatrist
After a medical consultation, a psychiatrist may prescribe a number of medications, one of which is antidepressants . Taking antidepressants is considered the most effective, especially for people with moderate to severe depression.
Antidepressants will be prescribed if someone has tried psychotherapy such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), but it has not worked or there has been no change.
This drug works by regulating the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain such as serotonin, noradrenaline and domain, which can then affect a person’s mood. That way, it is hoped that the desire to commit suicide can be reduced.
So far there are several recommendations for antidepressant drugs that are often prescribed by doctors.
- Learn skills to manage emotions
Learning skills to manage emotions such as stress, anger, and anxiety is essential. This can help you cope with the feelings of hopelessness that often characterize major depression.
To manage emotions, you can try relaxation techniques, meditation, and breathing skills. In addition, you can also try music therapy, journaling, or doing grounding in nature.
- Implement a healthy lifestyle
A healthy lifestyle has a big impact on a person’s mental health.
Make sure you adopt a balanced diet, exercise regularly, and ensure you get enough sleep so that your mental health remains maintained and suicidal thoughts are reduced.
- Avoid using illegal substances
The use of drugs or alcohol can worsen symptoms of depression and increase suicidal thoughts. Therefore, never use these substances and seek help immediately if you are already addicted.
- Ask for support from those closest to you
Care from family, friends, or support groups can provide important emotional support, in overcoming severe depression and avoiding suicidal thoughts.
Don’t hesitate to talk to others about your feelings and experiences. If your thoughts are unstoppable.
Check Your Mental Health Condition with This Feature
Are you still confused about your mental health condition? Before drawing your own conclusions, it’s a good idea to do an independent mental health check using simple tests available on Halodoc.
Well, here are some mental health tests you can try:
Stress Check
A simple test to measure the level of stress you feel.
Depression Test
A test to measure the level of depression you are experiencing. This test is short and scientifically valid and has been used by health professionals.
This test contains 9 questions using a scale of 0 to 3 to calculate the final score.
Don’t worry, your scores are confidential, and mental health professionals can only see your information if you share it.
Anxiety Disorder Test
This is an anxiety disorder test with the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 test. This is a short and scientifically valid test, and has been used by health professionals.
This test contains 7 questions using a scale of 0 to 3 to calculate the final score.
Don’t worry, your scores are confidential, and mental health professionals can only see your information if you share it.
If the test shows a mental health disorder, immediately contact a psychologist or psychiatrist at Halodoc to get the best treatment.